homage to Ruth Simpson (PDF)

This special issue is to celebrate the enormous scholarly contributions and distinguished career of Ruth Simpson. Ruth has been a generous research collaborator. She is always respectful of the intellectual position of another person, recognizing the importance of guiding and fostering another person's intellectual enthusiasm. She has remained an extraordinary mentor, worthy role model and a source of warm support and wise counsel.This issue has attempted to pay homage to the contributions of Ruth Simpson, a distinguished and consummate scholar. For over two decades, Simpson has been researching and writing on the skills and related outcomes from the MBA -which was the focus of her PhD thesis at the Open University. She has over the years developed an international reputation in this area due to the theoretical and empirical contributions of her work. Although her research interest is eclectic, much of her work in management education has explored the personal and career benefits of the MBA in various national contexts and how these match the business and management needs of employing organizations and the consequent implications for management education. One of the most important contributions of Simpson's work is the advancement of a credible solution to the key problems facing the MBA. Her proposal on the 'feminisation of the MBA' has increasingly been applauded by scholars and management educators as a step in the right direction. As we have seen, Ruth's work has gone a long way to advance theoretical understanding, inform empirical knowledge, and influence managerial practices. In addition to her direct contribution to management education research, she has supervised several PhD students who produced significant contributions in their theses and subsequent research.Certainly, Ruth's contributions to scholarship on the MBA and the broader field of management education will stand the test of time. Her work lays a solid foundation for future research to further elevate our understanding of the skills development and related outcomes from the MBA and how to align the MBA curriculum to meet contemporary business requirements in a fast-changing world. Ruth's important contribution will continue to stimulate younger scholars and management educators to extend the field and carry it forward in the coming years.